“In a bill passed by the Legislature earlier this month, the state is asserting that guns manufactured in Montana and sold in Montana to people who intend to keep their weapons in Montana are exempt from federal gun registration, background check and dealer-licensing rules because no state lines are crossed.”

and

“It’s a gun bill, but it’s another way of demonstrating the sovereignty of the state of Montana,” said Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who signed the bill.

Note the article quoted Democratic Governor Schweitzer, obviously not cut from the same cloth as the Obama wing of the party. My personal tendency was to think the “new Socialist Democrats” had replaced pretty much all the Blue dogs. It appears that I must re-evaluate my position.

The federal government has twisted the Commerce Clause to regulate practically anything you can name, so it will be interesting to follow this through the courts.

A candidate to notify the BATF of his intentions to manufacture rifles in Montana for Montana citizens is being sought.
Upon the expected receipt of BATF’s notice that he can’t do that, the court battle will begin. Manufacture of the rifles will not be necessary to start the court battle.

Supporters state that the Made in Montana stamp on the product makes it different from the 2005 California Federal marijuana case, since California marijuana looks pretty much like Oregon marijuana and so forth. The look alike argument seems pretty silly since all firearms manufactured in the last 40+ years will have a serial number.

The author of the bill sums it up best:

“Firearms are inextricably linked to the history and culture of Montana, and I’d like to support that,” said Montana state Rep. Joel Boniek, the bill’s sponsor. “But I want to point out that the issue here is not about firearms. It’s about state rights.”

In an age of the massive Federal power grab, this will be an interesting story to follow….